Australian Flathead Perch

The Australian Flathead Perch is a species of marine ray-finned fish, related to the groupers and classified within the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae. It is found in the eastern Indian Ocean and in the Western Pacific Ocean.

The Australian Flathead Perch has an overall dark orange color broken by six black-margined lilac stripes along each flank, the background orange color is darkest on the center of the flanks, fading to yellow on the back and belly. The spines in the dorsal fin are yellowish with a transparent membrane between them. The second dorsal fin has a dark base and a wide-angled yellow band just short of its edge which runs from the first soft ray to the tip of the seventh soft ray.

The edge itself is whitish in color and the remaining soft rays are reddish-brown. The anal fin shows a similar pattern to the dorsal fin. The pectoral fins and the pelvic fin are pinkish yellows in color. There is a black, blue-edged eyespot at the base of the tail. The caudal fin is brown with its outer margin having a white edge at its corners. This species is also characterized by the forward placement of its eyes and its wide mouth. It attains a maximum recorded total length of 15 centimeters (5.9 in).

The Australian Flathead Perch occurs in inshore waters where it is found in caves and crevices in coral reefs and is generally solitary.

Price: $5,000